What do you do when you see a thief inside a house? You call the police. And what do you do when you see a snake inside a housing estate? Simple, call the police, along with pest control.
That is exactly what happened at Bukit Batok on Monday, October 23. When a snake, which turned out to be a reticulated python, was spotted inside a housing complex, the police and pest control people were summoned to get rid off it.
A video on social media shows the snake wrapped around the top of a lamp post while a man tries to catch it. A group of passers-by was seen observing this unusual scene. When the snake falls on the ground with a distinct thud, the spectators' utter surprised exclamations are visible. Also present in the scene were two policemen, who helped the man put the snake in a bag.
According to 62-year-old Chen, who spotted the snake at around 5 am on Monday when he got up to feed his cats, said he initially tried to throw something to make the snake go away but it soon climbed up the lamp post and stayed there for a long time. Then, Chen informed the town council before leaving the scene.
However, concerns have risen about the correct way to handle these creatures when they enter a residential area. Often, incorrect ways of handling can injure or antagonise them.
An encounter with a wild animal is quite common here. Several wild boar attacks have been reported in the past few months, the most recent occurring on October 19 near the Hillview condominium. Civets and monitor lizards are a regular sight there. A monitor lizard was seen swimming in a pool at Jurong East Swimming Complex's lazy river in February. Even crocodiles are sometimes spotted in Singapore River, Kranji Reservoir, Kallang River and Pulau Tekong.
